By Francesca Scrimgeour, Walt Disney Archives
Muppet Treasure Island was zanily inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island novel, and, in turn, the film inspired a Little Golden Book release as well. Now, isn’t that a story worth the hearing?
As a part of the Walt Disney Archives’ collection, we have the original storybook artwork illustrated by Tom Brannon, and we thought it’d be fun to share a few examples along with their filmic inspirations. In the left column, you will see familiar stills from the movie, and on the right are the faithful recreations in the Little Golden Book style.
It is interesting to see how closely the drawings are translated from the screen to the page or, conversely, where the artist took liberties in order to tell the story. In the illustration of Jim Hawkins with Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat in the barrel, the storybook art captures the moment exactly down to Jim’s frightened face, whereas other illustrations are more loosely based on the scene of that moment. Take a look through the art below and be sure to watch Muppet Treasure Island now streaming on Disney+ to see how they compare!
